M is for Moon Shot

Have we had that title this year already? Apologies if we have, I know we've had a few posts on the 50th anniversary, not as many as I'd been planning, but I wasn't anticipating a three-month hiatus, anyway, this is only a quickie . . . the cabinet in Basingrad library, which had the vintage toy display, now has a moon-shot display and I fired off a few pickies last time I was up there.

The whole display, it's a simple display, but an eclectic mix of items which gets the 'temperature' of the thing quite well I think, with collector cards (Topps?), models, posters, postcards, a few key-rings (chains, fobs, hangers; whatever you call them there . . . where you are!) and an old copy of Analog magazine with an Apollo launch on the cover..

The bigger poster to the left is fascinating, but - if you're me - you need glasses to read most of it as it's smaller than a standard rack poster, but packs a mass of information, the most interesting being the timeline - and titles - of the various space-suits from the pre-Mercury/Gemini days up-to the current EVA-suit (extra-vehicular activity suit), and I'm going to see if I can find a copy on-line.

A similar graphic has all the rocket/launch-vehicle types - in scale with each other, while a time-line of the whole space programme in liner-form is down the right-hand side

I:48th scale kit of the command module with return capsule has been made to a high standard, I'm not sure who's kit it is, or whether it's a modern or vintage kit? We looked at a 1:96th scale one currently on sale from Revell earlier in the year as part fo the Toy fair reports, they also do a 1:32nd scale version which would be excellent for those Hing Fat and other figures we looked again at a few days ago.

While Airfix must be in the frame, but I don't remember a 1:48th scale kit of this type, and their issues for the 50th this year were as piss-poor as all their other 'anniversary' coverage in recent years, not dwelling on WWI, but their WWII has been no better and for the moon-shot they only re-issued three; their 1:144 Apollo and in 1:72nd scale the polyethylene figure set and the Eagle Lander kit - as a starter- or craft- set with paint, glue and an additional set of figures . . . and that was it.

Likewise, if this mighty Saturn V rocket is 1:144th it could be the Airfix model, but it's not easy to judge, trying to fit (mentally) two seated Airfix figures in the Lander it might be the Airfix, as the two modules look a tad small, however Revell do a 1:96th one and I suspect this is that kit? They do also have a 1:144th one! When did Revell take Airfix's crown . . . it must have been a decade or two ago now?

Anyway, it's a nice little display and I thought I'd share it with you, if you happen to be in Basingstoke, at a loose end, it's worth a five-minute close-up look!